论基因治疗研究投资行为的伦理审查

Ethical Review of Investment Behavior in Gene Therapy Research

中国基因治疗市场具有数亿人民币的规模,并且保持着每年百分之十几的复合增长率。资本和基因治疗技术的结合,无疑在助推技术风险的扩大化,使得科学家异化为科学家商人。基因编辑婴儿事件,有关单位将其界定为追逐商业利益的犯罪行为。目前,中国基因治疗研究投资行为并无相应的法定伦理审查。笔者分析认为,在基因治疗研究的投资阶段,现有的自治性风险评估存在资本利益绝对优先和缺乏外力约束等问题。并且,临床试验阶段的法定伦理审查的局限性在资本扩张面前更加凸显。道德投资理论为基因治疗研究投资行为的伦理审查奠定了学理基础,中国基因治疗研究投资行为的法定伦理审查具有必要性和可行性。因而,笔者提出机构内置的伦理审查应当前置于基因治疗研究的投资阶段。

China’s gene therapy market has a scale of hundreds of millions RMB and maintains a compound growth rate of more than 10% every year. The combination of capital and gene therapy technology undoubtedly promotes the expansion of technical risks and alienates scientists into scientists and businessmen. The gene editing baby incident was defined by relevant organizations as a criminal act in pursuit of commercial interests. At present, there is no corresponding legal ethical review on the investment behavior of gene therapy research in China. The author believes that in the investment stage of gene therapy research, the existing autonomous risk assessment has the problems of absolute priority of capital interests and lack of external constraints. Moreover, the limitations of legal ethical review in the clinical trial stage are more obvious in the face of capital expansion. Moral investment lays a theoretical foundation for the ethical review of gene therapy research investment behavior. The ethical review of gene therapy research investment behavior in China is necessary and feasible. Therefore, this paper proposes that the built-in ethical review of institutions should be preceded by the investment stage of gene therapy research.